TruTrade is a social enterprise that enables smallholder farmers to get a fair price for their produce.

We provide a market linkage service which makes it possible for farmers to earn more, improves consumer access to quality produce and makes investing in value chains safer.

Our inclusive business model provides an alternative to the prevailing buy-low-sell-high trading practice. Since our service commission is a percentage of the farmers income, TruTrade has an incentive to get the highest price possible for the farmer. It is a disruptive innovation because it enables collaboration and trust along the entire value chain from producer to consumer.

Looking back at 2015

The Challenge

Farmers

There is a growing demand for agricultural produce in Africa, yet smallholder producers struggle to make a living. The majority of small-scale farmers work in unorganised staple food markets, which currently have little or no points of aggregation. They often get exploited by middlemen who give poor farm-gate prices, frequently working together to drive down prices and also tampering with weighing scales. Small-scale farmers experience is that no-one is ‘on their side’ when it comes to marketing.

Aggregators

Traders and brokers face many challenges in carrying out their business especially in the more remote areas with poor roads, few transport options and limited capital. Being a middleman is hard work and risky without the right logistics and investment.

Buyers

TruTrade enables efficient supply chain management. We take time to understand our buyers’ sourcing requirements so that they get products of the right quality and volumes, and that delivery is timely and reliable. We provide transparency, enabling buyers to see the full value chain and trace produce from farm to factory or retail outlet.